Gas-engine governor.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

` PATBNTED P38411, 1908.

' .'r. v. 810B, JR.

GAS ENGINE GOVERNOR. APPLICATION I'ILEDJUNB 12, 41906.

fue: Namus Psrxn ca., WA srmvcrnfl. n. c.

No. 878,826. PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

J. v. RICE, JR.

GAS ENGINE GOVERNOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2, 1906.

` s snm-SHEET `2.

JOHN V. RICE, JR., OF BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

GAS-ENGINE GOVERNOR.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

ApplicatiOll iled June 12.1906- 4Serial No. 321.3(29.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN V. RICE, Jr., a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Bordentown, county of Burlington, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engine Governors, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention refers to a gas engine, and more especially to a governor mechanism for producing a regular and steady movement thereof, the object being to simplify, perfect, and render more efhcient, mechanism of this character; and the invention therefore consists essentially in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the annexed drawing illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gas engine with my improved governor mechanism applied thereto in practical,

working position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation in partial section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the governor mechanism belonging to my present improvements. Fig. 5 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of a part of the exhaust-valve controlling-lever and its supporting bracket.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the different figures of the drawing.

1 designates the cylinder on the main engine-frame 2. In this frame is mounted the crank shaft 3, to which the connecting rod 4 that is actuated by the piston'is fastened.

. On the shaft 3 is a toothed wheel 27 meshing with another toothed wheel or worm 26 on the end of the longitudinal shaft 25 that is supported in suitable bearings on the engine frame.

On the wall of the cylinder 1 is an exhaust valve casing 5, containing a valve seat for the exhaust valve 7, whose stem 8 passes through the wall of the casing 5 and is provided with an enveloping spiral spring 10, against which bears the terminal nut 9, the function of the spring 10 being to draw the valve 7 to its seat. Likewise on another part of the wall of cylinder 1 is another valve chamber 6, in connection with which is arranged the inlet valve 11, whose stem 12 projects through the wall of casing 6 and is enveloped by the two spiral springsb13 and 16, said spring 13 being the lighter one and Ymade the subject of a separate co-pending surrounding that portion of stem 12 nearest to the casing 6 and being tensioned'between the fast collar 14 and the said casing; and said spring 16 being the stronger one and being on the outer end of stem 12 and being tensioned between the loose collar 15 and the terminal adjusting nut 17 there being a short space between the two collars 14 and 15 in which rests the arm 2O of a two-arm rocking lever,that portion of said arm immediately between and in contact with the two collars 14and 15 preferablyhaving curvedprotuberances on the edges, as shown.

The fulcrum of the two-arm rocking lever is in the bifurcated bracket 18, bolted to the cylinder 1, and the arm 2() above-mentioned is slotted at 20u, see Fig. 4, to permit the passage therethrough of the vertical valvestem 12, it being noted that the stem with its spring acoompaniments depends below the casing 6 between the sides of the bracket 18. The end of the lever arm 20 carries an antifriction roller 21. The other arm 19 of the said two-arm lever bears against the lower end of the exhaust valve stem 8, see Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen that the lever 19, 20, controls the opening and closing of the exhaust valve,

besides being functionally connected with the inlet valve, in a yielding manner. The nut 17 regulates the tension of the spring 16.

On the shaft 25 is a cam 29 that rotates in contact with the end of lever arm 20 and causes the rocking lever 19, 20, to vibrate. Likewise on the end of shaft 25 is a crank disk 22 that is shiftably connected to shaft 25 by means 'of a centrifugally-operating govenor device, the function of which is to time the production of the spark, and which is described and claimed in a co-pending application. The disk 22 connects through a link 23 with a crank arm 24 belonging to the eleotrical contact or igniting mechanism, which is not herein set forth in detail for it has been application for Letters-Patent.

I will now explain the construction and operation of the govenor mechanism for insuring a regular and steady movement of the engine.

On one side of the bracket 18, see Fig. 4, is a recess that receives a hollow horizontal stud 32 which is held within said recess by means of a set-bolt 33. The outer end of stud 32 is flanged at 34, and on the stud between iiange 34 and the bracket 18 is a rotary sleeve 31, carrying the pinion 30, which meshes with and is driven by the gear wheel 28 on the longitudinal shaft 25. Integral with the pinion sleeve 31, or hollow shaft as it may be termed, is the governor yoke 37, to the opposite forks of which are pivoted at 38 the angular arms 36, 36, carrying the balls or Weights 35, 35, the opposite ends of said angular arms 36 being provided with pins engaging grooves between collars 46 on the outer' end of a rod 45, working through the end 34 of stud 32, and carrying on its inner end a disk 47 that bears against the interior spiral spring 48, which in turn bears against a disk 51 on the end of a pin 49 that is movable within o ne 'end of the stud 32 and in a coincident passage or perforation 49a, with which perforation 49a another perforation 49b in the lever arm 2O registers from time to time during t-he vibratory movements of said arm 20; it being further noted that a spiral spring 50 is coiled around the pin 49 and tensioned against the disk 51 on the end of said pin. The spring 5() has less tension than the spring 48, or in other words, it has a lesser resiliency, being a lighter spring, so that when the spring 48 begins to compress, the spring 5() will likewise immediately compress, and when the spring 48 expands, the spring 50 'cannot complete its expansion until after the spring 48 is entirely extended into its normal condition. Attached to the ends of the yoke piece 37 at 40, 40, is a cross-piece 39, provided with a central screw 42, on which is a washer or follower 43, said screw having a terminal handle 44. 41, 41, indicate semi-circular springs that engage notches in the angular weighted-arms 36, and also notches in the cross-piece 39, and against these springs bears the movable compression washer or bar 43, which together with the screw 42 regulates the tension of the springs 41 upon the centrifugal arms 36, and consequently controls the throw of said arms.

I will now explain the operation of my improved governor mechanism and state how the exhaust valve is controlled hereby.

As the speed of the engine increases the balls 35 will iiy outwardly with the result that the spring 48 will be compressed, thereby movingA the pin 49, and also compressing the spring 50. The movement of the pin 49 will cause it to enter the perforation 491D in the lever arm 2O at such time as said perforation registers with perforation 49, and thus will hold the two-arm rocking lever 19, 20, stationary at a time when the leverarm 19 is forcing the valve-stem 8 inwardly, and in this way the exhaust valve 7 will be held open until the speed of the engine diminishes and the balls 35 fly centripetally sufficiently to permit the spring 48 to expand and the pin 49 under the impulse of the spring 50 to lemerge from the perforation 49lo and release the lever arm 20 and consequently release the exhaust valve 7. The provision of the spring device between the centrifugal arms and the locking pin is of much importance and value, as practice has demonstrated. After the pin has engaged with the lever arm the centrifugal arms 'are still permitted to have free play under the yielding action of spring 48 without causing the pin to disengage until the reduction in the speed of the engine makes such a result desirable.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Iletters-Patent, is

1. In a gas engine, the combination with the exhaust valve and its stem, of a lever provided with a perforation, one arm of which lever bears against said stem, a shaft, a `cam thereon which vacts upon and vibrates said lever, and a governor device having 'a pin for engaging the perforation in said lever and holding it temporarily stationary, sub*- stantially as described.

2. In a gas engine, the 'combination with an exhaust valve and its stem, `of the valve opening lever, provided with a perforation and supported on a bearing likewise having a perforation that coincides at times with the lever perforation, one arm of which lever bears against the end of said stem, a'cam for vibrating said lever, and a governor'device having a sliding pin adapted to enter the perforation in the bearing and also the perforation in the lever and hold the latter 'temporarily stationary. n

3. In a gas engine, the combination with the exhaust valve, of a valve opening lever provided with a perforation and the governor deviceconsisting of a movable pin, centrifugally acting arms and a yielding connection between the said arms and the pin.

4. In a gas engine, the combination with the exhaust valve, of a valve opening 'lever provided with a perforation vand a governor device for icontrolling said lever, 'consisting of a sliding pin adapted to `enter a perforation in the lever, centrifugal arms, and va double spring device betweenthe arms and the pin.

5. In a gas engine, the combination with the exhaust valve, of a valve opening -lever, and a governor device the same consistingof a pin adapted to enter a perforation in vthe lever, a hollow stud containing springs ofdifferent tension acting on said pin, centrifugal arms, and a rod actuated by'said arms and bearing on the springs, substantially as described.

Signed at New York city vthis 29th day of Mayv1906.

JOHN V. RICE, JR.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. IIAZELTON, C. B. SoHRoEDER. 

